Automotive

Activities in the automotive field are mainly embedded in the DLR research area “Drivers Assistance Systems”. In the associated project “Mechatronic Chassis” we coordinate joint research with DLR-Institute of Transportation Systems (TS) and DLR-Institute of Flight Systems (FT).

Our excellence and work is focussed on control of vehicle dynamics and energy systems, multi-domain automotive modelling and simulation, and mechatronic components and their testing. These topics will be explained in the sequel.

To develop strategies for chassis control we concentrate on the modelling and simulation of both chassis and powertrain systems. We are exploiting the synergies and interactions between the chassis and the power train to achieve optimal results for active safety, efficiency, and driving comfort at a low cost. Advanced optimisation techniques are used both in terms of control and as part of our design process.

Both simulation-based evaluation and model-based controller design require multi­disciplinary modelling of the mechatronic chassis. It is therefore necessary to enhance and refine the modelling options with regard to all the above-mentioned aspects. To this end, we are developing a Modelica-based automotive model kit consisting of various compatible and complementary libraries that go far beyond mapping the pure driving dynamics.

In the sense of object-oriented modelling (and as consequence of our various modelling activities), it is essential to have libraries available which comprise components and assembled models. The main fields of our automotive modelling activities are vehicle dynamics, power trains (both conventional and alternative) and vehicle controls.

Most visualization systems operate independent from the simulation, which means that additional effort goes into the separate generation of the scene. For this reason, we use a different approach for the visualization of multibody systems: The visualization control is fully integrated into the object oriented simulation language Modelica. External visualisation software, developed at the institute, displays the scene defined by the Modelica model.

The development of a vehicle dynamics application in terms of control basically inherits Rapid-Control-Prototyping (RCP) and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) design cycles. RCP inherits theoretical control methodology from system modelling and analysis up to a design of a control concept, testing and optimizing of the control algorithm by simulations, automatic code generation for a real-time platform on the test rig and verifying and optimizing of the controller on the test rig.

The ROMO points towards the development of an innovative electro-mobility concept based on intelligent central control of four „Wheel Robots”, which integrate the drivetrain, brakes, steering and dampers. The entire vehicle features ten independently controllable vehicle dynamics actuators. With the help of the integrated surround video cameras, the ROMO can be driven with various degrees of autonomy, from partially to fully autonomous.